Parish government recounts challenges, accomplishments

The year 2015 saw many changes in St. Mary Parish, according to local officials, and while some represented positive shifts for the community, other changes represent new issues that decision-makers are already in the process of addressing to ensure the parish continues to prosper in the face of new challenges.
One of the most tangible shifts in the parish, and one officials are most concerned with addressing, was the downturn in the local economy. According to information supplied by St. Mary Parish Chief Administrative Officer Henry “Bo” LaGrange, the area saw a loss in oil and gas jobs but on the bright side, Economic Development Director Frank Fink said other business and energy sectors “grew and expanded.”
Fink noted the opening of a new shipbuilding manufacturing facility that created 50 jobs in the last year with an estimated 50 more to be created in 2016. Elsewhere in the parish, Fink said another local business relocated to Centerville and is in the process of expanding their operation. Fink did say he and other parish officials were optimistic that the energy industry would start to recover in 2016 and bring back jobs to the area.
“Obviously, the oil fields have had an impact,” Fink said. “We are cautiously optimistic that we are at a low-point right now. We don’t really know and we could see additional lay-offs in the coming year. There have been a lot of construction projects this year that have been very positive for the parish.”
Parish officials also noted the multi-million dollar efforts to improve local infrastructure and anti-flood measures which continued in 2015. St. Mary Parish President Paul Naquin Jr. said work continues on flood protection measures on the Franklin Canal as well as several other locations across the parish. He also noted improvements to utility infrastructure and the completion of many other projects.
Highlights included the reconstruction of two streets in Baldwin, drainage improvements in Franklin, the replacement and flood-proofing of the Atchafalaya River Wharf in Berwick, floodgate and levee enhancements on the Yellow Bayou and Hanson Canal, sewer up-grades in Patterson, levee improvements in Morgan City, modification and improvements to parish offices and extensive work to the exterior of the courthouse.
Other projects underway included the design of a new animal control facility, efforts to mitigate the effects of the oil and gas industry on coastal areas and other efforts to prevent negative environmental consequences to the parish. Other projects that were completed in 2015 include flood-proofing at the courthouse in Franklin and a retrofit to public buildings to prevent damage from wind.
And not all of these efforts and projects, according to parish officials, were completely on the taxpayers’ dime. After the allocation of hazard mitigation grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which require a 25 percent match by the parish, several projects are expected to be at or near completion in 2016.
Some of the most pressing priorities for parish officials include the construction of “safe-rooms” for staff at drainage pump stations in Amelia and Morgan City, upgrades to pump stations in Berwick, Morgan City and Amelia, as well as improvements to the boat-landing at the Joe C. Russo Memorial Boat Launch and a variety of other projects.
Naquin, who is nearing the end of his tenure as parish president, said he was proud of the accomplishments of the last year as well as during his presidency.
“I think, in the last nine-and-a-half years, we have done a lot for flood and hurricane protection and coastal erosion,” Naquin said. “I have to thank my staff for that and also the past and present parish council and also the citizens of the parish. I think people will notice all the improvements.”
LaGrange said, in 2016, the most pressing priorities for parish officials, was to address budget concerns as a result of the loss of tax revenues due to the economy and loss of jobs. LaGrange said the parish has consistently maintained a conservative approach to the parish budget to mitigate fluctuating economic conditions.
“The biggest priority for 2016 is to be in a conservative budget mode,” LaGrange said. “From the parish’s perspective, we have to watch that (budget) very closely and make sure we were conservative enough. Other priorities are to complete the projects we already have in the works and we hope to see them completed in 2016.”